Credentials include, for example, identification cards, driver's licenses, passports, and other valuable documents. Such credentials are formed from credential substrates including paper substrates, plastic substrates, cards and other materials. Such credentials generally include printed information, such as a photo, account numbers, identification numbers, and other personal information that is printed on the credential substrates using a print consumable, such as ink and ribbon.
Credential production devices process credential substrates by performing at least one step in forming a final credential product. One type of credential production device is a reverse-image credential printing device. Reverse-image credential production devices generally include a printing section and an image transfer section. The printing section utilizes an intermediate transfer film or transfer ribbon, a print ribbon and a printhead. The printhead is typically a thermal printhead that operates to heat different colored dye panels of a thermal print ribbon to transfer the colored dye from the print ribbon to a panel of transfer film to form the image thereon. After the printed image on the transfer film is registered with a substrate, a heated transfer roller of the image transfer section transfers the image from the transfer film or transfer ribbon to a surface of the substrate.
Conventional reverse-image credential printing devices are typically large, cumbersome and complicated machines where improvements to these types of machines are in continuous demand. For example, there is a continuous demand for improving the process by which credential substrates are printed. In general, reverse-image printing devices print to a top surface of a credential process, yet still take advantage of gravity to output a printed credential into a hopper. Such a configuration requires that the printing device have a large and cumbersome height to accommodate internal credential processes.
Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.